Narrative Therapy and the stories we tell ourselves
The way we feel about ourselves and the world is in our minds. It lives in the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and how everything that surrounds us. These self-told stories are constructed throughout our lives. They date back to our childhood. We create a canvas composed of many experiences. Each has its own story. In the process, we unconsciously construct a story of who we are based on our past. There are positive and negative self-told stories. Those that bring people into therapy are the latter: “I am un-attractive”, “I’m not good enough” etc. These are the stories that begin to cause anxiety, even depression in our lives.
Narrative therapy serves in teasing apart the stories we tell ourselves, those that no longer serve us in positive ways. These may cause emotional grief, even affecting how we view ourselves and others.
Narrative
Therapy seeks to find exceptions in our current story that is getting in the
way of being fully present (and happy). It seeks the points of light and
openness that we often brush over. Once enough exceptions to our negative
self-told story are found, we seek to expand the positive parts of our story.
Overtime, these exceptions to our
negative self-told story will be expanded and focused on. In the process, we
begin to feel the emotional experience of the exceptions we often skip. The
part of the story that causes us pain, hurt or anxiety begins to get smaller. Instead,
the positive exceptions come more into focus, allowing and alternative,
positive story to evolve, and, be born. The end result is the construction of
an alternative narrative. This new story
can provide a more functional and healing way of viewing one’s world. With it
comes a more positive outlook, one that serves us better in experiencing our
lives.
This new self-told positive story is expanded through practice. Applying it in
our daily lives, even declaring it to those around us: “I am good-enough,
perhaps even amazing”
As the narrative is lived in our minds, it can begin to be embodied, felt in ourselves as an experience of safety, agency, and wellbeing.
Our story is important. How we tell it to ourselves and others is important. The story we need to hear is key in the process of healing.
Sergio Ocampo specializes in the use of Somatic Experiencing, Narrative Therapy and EMDR to help his clients resolve past difficult and overwhelming experiences